Centripetal Separation System for Cleaning Particulate-Pervaded Air or Gas

ABSTRACT

Some embodiments provide a centripetal air or gas cleaning apparatus for removing particulates from air or gas. The apparatus comprises an inlet, housing, impeller, a clean air outlet, and a particulate outlet. The housing has an inner conical surface. The impeller&#39;s rotation creates negative pressure towards the inlet that intakes particulate-pervaded air or gas into the housing. The rotation also induces an accelerating force that throws the particulate-pervaded air or gas against the outer walls of the housing. Here, the particulates separate from the air or gas, penetrate a high-pressure zone, and are ejected through the particulate outlet located in the high-pressure zone. The air or gas, having less inertia, deflects away from the high-pressure zone where it is then subjected to a centripetal force that drives the air or gas towards the center of the housing behind the impeller where it is ejected through the clean air outlet.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a filtration apparatus that ejects particulates from air or gas.

BACKGROUND ART

In many industrial and commercial applications, motorized machinery is subjected to environmental hazards and harsh operating conditions that expedite or otherwise induce mechanical failure or sub-optimal operation of the machinery. Air or gas that is pervaded with particulates is one such hazard. The particulates can include coal dust, saw dust, metal dust, dirt, sand, and liquid contaminants as some examples. When the air and the accompanying particulates enter into the motor housings or other mechanical parts of the machinery, the particulates can disrupt or interfere with the normal operation of the machinery, and thus cause the failure or sub-optimal operation. The particulates can also be harmful to humans breathing in the particulate-pervaded air.

Air or gas cleaning systems have existed for many years. Some operate with permeable barriers that entrap the unwanted particulates while permitting the cleansed air or gas to pass through. They inherently create an initial pressure drop, creating a restriction to the airflow, which worsens over time as the media entraps the unwanted particles, further reducing performance, and causing wear and tear on machine components. Moreover, these air or gas cleaning systems are expensive to operate and to maintain as the barrier entrapping the particulates must be continually cleaned or replaced. Other systems operate by manipulating airflow in various ways to induce the separation of the particulates from the air. The vast majority of these separation systems have an intrinsic downfall in that the particulates must be collected, emptied, and disposed of. Thus, there remains a need for newer filtration systems that more effectively supply clean air or gas from a source of particulate-pervaded air or gas while doing so more reliably, economically, and effectively for prolonged periods in industrial and other applications without the necessity that the particulate be collected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Some embodiments provide a centripetal air or gas cleaning system and apparatus. The apparatus intakes particulate-pervaded air or gas and induces centripetal forces to cause the particulates to separate and be expelled from a different outlet than that of the cleansed air or gas. The apparatus comprises an inlet, housing, impeller, and at least one clean air outlet and one particulate outlet.

The inlet provides an opening through which the apparatus intakes particulate-pervaded air or gas. In some embodiments, the inlet extends centrally from a proximal end of the housing. The inlet may be an opening at the proximal end of the housing. Alternatively, the proximal end of the housing may include a ring that curves into the inlet in order to join the two. The housing extends conically away from the inlet to the housing's distal end. The angle of the extension varies depending on the desired application.

The housing provides a radially collapsing volume that increases pressure for air or gas circulating therein. In some embodiments, a channel or set of channels run along the housing to make a discrete barrier to isolate particulates that have been successfully expelled from the path of clean air. The radially collapsing volume within the housing is produced in part by an inner conical surface. The conical surface is comprised of a curved plane that approaches and intersects the housing's distal end from within. Specifically, the conical surface has a first edge that forms within the distal end of the housing, wherein the diameter of the first edge matches approximately to that of the housing distal end. The curved plane then extends inwards within the housing from this first edge at an acute angle to a second edge that is located about centrally within the housing. The angle can vary from more than 0 to less than 90 degrees in different embodiments, such that the diameter of the conical surface gradually decreases from the first edge to the second edge. A shallower angle may improve particulate separation, though the optimal angle depends on the particulate being separated. Some embodiments allow for the adjustment of the angle at which the conical surface protrudes within the housing.

The second edge, which is the innermost protruding edge of the conical surface, contains an opening at its center that serves as the clean air outlet. The particulate outlet is an opening that is adjacent to the first edge or base of the conical surface. In some embodiments, the conical surface also provides a mount to which the impeller can be coupled.

When in operation, a motor causes the impeller to rotate. This rotation creates negative pressure that pulls in the particulate-pervaded air or gas from the inlet into the housing. The rotation also creates an initial accelerating force that throws the particulate-pervaded air or gas towards the housing's walls. The particulate-pervaded air or gas then decelerates due to shearing forces from the housing walls and a zone of increasingly high-pressure is formed by the collapsing volume. The particulates, because of their greater momentum, penetrate through the high-pressure zone. The particulates higher mass moment of inertia allows them to move radially outward through the pressure gradients and down along the sides of the conical surface until they are ejected through one of the particulate outlets. The air or gas, having less inertia, is deflected away from the high-pressure zone and a centripetal force drives the air or gas back towards the center axis and behind the impeller. This causes an increase in angular acceleration and facilitates a final stage of centrifugal filtration as remaining particulates are spun outward and the cleansed air or gas continues through the clean air outlet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to achieve a better understanding of the nature of the present invention, a preferred embodiment for the centripetal air or gas cleaning system and apparatus will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 depicts the centripetal air or gas cleaning system and apparatus and its operation in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 presents a front perspective view of the system and apparatus.

FIG. 3 presents a cut-away front perspective view of the system and apparatus.

FIG. 4 presents a rear perspective view of the system and apparatus.

FIG. 5 presents a rear cut-away perspective view of the system and apparatus.

FIG. 6 presents rear and front views of the system and apparatus.

FIG. 7 presents side and bottom views of the system and apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous details, examples, and embodiments for the centripetal air or gas cleaning system and apparatus are set forth and described. It will be clear and apparent to one skilled in the art that these systems and apparatuses are not limited to the embodiments set forth and that the systems and apparatuses may be practiced without some of the specific details and examples discussed.

Provided is a centripetal air or gas cleaning system and apparatus that removes particulates from air or gas. The particulates can include any solid state matter that is intermixed with the air or gas resulting in an undesired contamination of the air or gas. Coal dust, saw dust, metal dust, dirt, and sand are some examples of particulates that the system and apparatus is designed to remove from air or gas. The particulates can additionally or alternatively include liquids suspended in the air or gas.

FIG. 1 depicts the centripetal air or gas cleaning system and apparatus and its operation in accordance with some embodiments. The system and apparatus includes (1) inlet 110, (2) housing 120, (3) impeller 150, (4) particulate outlet 160, and (5) clean air outlet 170. The size of these various components 110, 120, 150, 160, and 170 will vary depending on the application of the apparatus.

Additional views of the apparatus as well as its components are presented in FIGS. 2-6. Specifically, FIG. 2 presents a front perspective view of the system and apparatus; FIG. 3 presents a cut-away front perspective view of the system and apparatus; FIG. 4 presents a rear perspective view of the system and apparatus; FIG. 5 presents a rear cut-away perspective view of the system and apparatus; FIG. 6 presents rear and front views of the system and apparatus; and FIG. 7 presents side and bottom views of the system and apparatus.

As shown from the various figures, the inlet 110 is an opening through which the apparatus intakes particulate-pervaded air or gas into the housing 120. The inlet 110 can be conical, circular, or any other regular or irregular shape. The various shapes of the inlet 110 allow it to couple to standard and non-standard ducts of varying sizes and thus funnel particulate-pervaded air or gas from different machines into the housing 120. The inlet 110 can be left exposed in order to intake air or gas from the surrounding environment. The inlet 110 can be constructed of any rigid or supported material such as steel, aluminum, sheet metal, plastic, etc. The diameter of the inlet 110 varies depending on the application of the apparatus. Accordingly, the inlet 110 can have a diameter less than an inch for cleaning small volumes of air or gas to far larger diameters for cleaning large volumes of air or gas. In some embodiments, the inlet 110 is an opening at the proximal end 130 of the housing 120. In some other embodiments, the housing proximal end 130 includes a ring that curves into the inlet 110 in order to join the two.

The housing 120 may be one unitary structure or separate structures that are affixed to one another. The structure(s) can be composed of steel, aluminum, sheet metal, plastic, or other rigid or supported materials. In preferred embodiments, the housing 120 is conical with the angle of the conical extension varying depending on the embodiment. In one such embodiment, the housing 120 extends from the proximal end 130 to the distal end 140 at an angle that mimics the contour of the front face of the impeller 150. In some other embodiments, the housing 120 may include a front section and a different shaped rear section. For example, the front and rear sections may be conical albeit with different angles of extensions. As another example, the front section may be conical and the rear section may be cylindrical. The specific dimensions and other characteristics of the housing 120 are determined based on the application of the apparatus. For large scale applications where a larger quantity of air or gas is to be cleaned, the housing 120 and other components of the apparatus will be larger. Conversely, for small scale applications where a smaller quantity of air or gas is to be cleaned, the housing 120 and other components of the apparatus will be smaller.

The housing 120 provides a radially collapsing volume that increases pressure for air or gas circulating therein, The radially collapsing volume is produced in part by a conical surface 180 that juts inward from the distal end 140 of the housing 120. The conical surface 180 is best viewed from the rear perspective view of FIG. 4 and rear cut-away perspective view of FIG. 5.

As illustrated, the conical surface 180 has a first edge that forms within the distal end 140 of the housing 120, wherein the diameter of the first edge matches approximately to that of the housing 120 distal end 140. A curved plane then extends inwards within the housing from this first edge at an acute angle to a second edge that is located about centrally within the housing. The angle can vary from more than 0 to less than 90 degrees in different embodiments, such that the diameter of the conical surface gradually decreases from the first edge to the second edge. A shallower angle may improve particulate separation, though the optimal angle depends on the particulate being separated. Some embodiments allow for the adjustment of the angle at which the conical surface 180 protrudes from the distal end 140 of the housing 120. Alternatively, different embodiments may each provide a different the angle at which the conical surface 180 protrudes within the housing 120.

The second edge, which is the innermost protruding edge of the conical surface 180, also contains an opening at its center. This opening is the clean air outlet 170 or is at least aligned with the clean air outlet 170. In some embodiments, the clean air outlet 170 is inline or parallel with the inlet 110. Some embodiments provide various attachments or rings to attach to the clean air outlet 170. These attachments can be used to customize the design to specific environments and applications. These attachments can also be used to directly feed the resulting cleaned air or gas into another machine or ductwork. It should be apparent that the apparatus may stand alone such that it is not connected to another device. Rather, the apparatus receives air or gas directly from the environment or feeds the cleaned air or gas into the environment.

In some embodiments, the conical surface 180 provides a mount for the impeller 150. The mount is best viewed from FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. As shown, the mount is comprised of a set of supports 410 that are affixed about the protruding second edge of the conical surface 180. Each support of the set of supports 410 may be a metallic bracket or other rigid structure.

The set of supports 410 can be affixed along the circumference of the conical surface 180 protruding second edge or attached along the circumference in some similar fashion. The set of supports 410 are joined together by a circular ring 420. The circular ring 420 is the base over which the impeller 150 mounts. The impeller 150 may be mounted using a nut and bolt assembly. However, it should be apparent that other assemblies may be used to couple the impeller 150 to the mount. This mount provides a central position within the housing 120 without obscuring the clean air outlet 170 and without restricting flow by any significant quantity.

The housing 120 also contains the particulate outlet 160. The particulate outlet 160 is the opening through which the particulates that are separated from the air or gas are ejected from the apparatus. The particulate outlet 160 is located along the housing 120 distal end 140 adjacent to the base of the conical surface 180. In some embodiments, the particulate outlet 160 is optionally connected to a hose or tube that leads the particulates to a desired receptacle or some distance away from the apparatus. Some embodiments provide multiple particulate outlets adjacent to the base of the conical surface 180.

The impeller 150 is disposed within the housing 120 by coupling it to the mount found on the conical surface 180. This disposes the impeller 150 about centrally within the housing 120 and about parallel with the inlet 110 and the clean air outlet 170. A distance separates the impeller 150 from the clean air outlet 170 and provides the necessary volume for the centripetal forces described below. The impeller 150 may be a centrifugal fan or a mixed-flow impeller and may be backwardly inclined. Generally however, the impeller 150 is a rotor with a set of rotating blades. In some embodiments, the impeller 150 includes an integral motor such that all of its components are housed within housing 120. In some other embodiments, the motor for the impeller 150 is outside the housing 120. The size and dimensions of the impeller 150 can change depending on the application of the apparatus and the size of the housing 120. For each such application, dimensional analysis and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations can be used to determine the optimal impeller 150 and housing 120 size. In some embodiments, multiple impellers may be mounted in parallel within the housing 120.

When in operation, the impeller 150 rotates. This rotation creates negative pressure that pulls in the particulate-pervaded air or gas from the inlet 110 into the housing 120. The inlet 110 can be exposed to directly intake air or gas from the surrounding environment or can be coupled via ducting to another machine that ejects the particulate-pervaded air or gas. The impeller 150 rotation also creates an initial accelerating force within the housing 120 that throws the drawn in particulate-pervaded air or gas towards the housing's 120 walls before the particular-pervaded air or gas can reach the distal end of the housing 120. The particulate-pervaded air or gas then decelerates due to shearing forces from the walls. As a result, a high-pressure zone forms along the base of the conical surface 180 in the collapsing volume behind where the particulate-pervaded air or gas contacts the housing's walls. A close-up conceptual view of the high-pressure zone is shown in FIG. 1 with reference to marker 190. The particulates, because of their greater momentum, penetrate through the high-pressure zone, thereby separating from the air or gas, which because of lesser inertia, is unable to penetrate through the high-pressure zone. The higher mass moment of inertia causes the particulates to move radially outward through the pressure gradients and down along the sides of the conical surface 180 until they are ejected through one of the particulate outlets 160. The air or gas, having less inertia, is deflected away from the high-pressure zone. A centripetal force then drives the particulate free air or gas behind the impeller 150 and towards the center axis. The conical surface 180 insures a smooth airflow within the housing 120, such that turbulence is minimized and air flow is not obstructed or otherwise reduced. The conical surface 180 also reduces the volume into which the cleansed air or gas is drawn as a result of centripetal force. This reduction in volume increases the angular acceleration for the cleansed air or gas and facilitates a final stage of centrifugal filtration. This final stage of filtration is aided by the impeller 150. In some embodiments, the impeller has a rear flat face. Therefore, as the air or gas amasses behind impeller from the housing 120 walls, the air or gas is subjected to a final spin before it is ejected through the clean air outlet 170. In so doing, remaining particles in the cleansed air or gas are thrown back away from the clean air outlet 170 for ejection through the particulate outlet 160.

In some embodiments, the addition of one or more channels within housing 120 can expedite the rejection of the particles, causing less angular rotation, and allowing the air to flow more efficiently towards the exit. An example of the channel can be seen with reference to marker 310 in FIG. 3. The channeling provides a discrete barrier that isolates particulates that have concentrated along the housing wall from the clean air or gas being ejected through the clean air or gas outlet.

Advantages of the disclosed apparatus over other air or gas cleaning or filtration systems of the prior art stem from the design and geometry described above. This design allows the apparatus to maintain air pressure and airflow that is more similar to ordinary, non-filtering, in-line, and enclosed ventilation fans. In other words, this system and apparatus does not suffer from as significant a drop in flow rate as do other air filtration systems. Additionally, the configuration can be modified to include additional methods of filtration to the rear of the impeller 150, such as a paddlewheel or a filter media that would self-clean as dirt would be spun out of it. Moreover, the design lends itself to moving larger quantities of air or gas without losing filtration efficiency. The design also allows for high pressurizations at the clean air outlet 170, whereas designs of the prior art cater more towards being a source for clean air to be drawn through by additional air moving devices. 

We claim:
 1. An air or gas cleaning apparatus comprising: an inlet providing an intake for particulate-pervaded air or gas; a housing extending conically from a proximal end coupled to the inlet to a distal end, the housing comprising an inner conical surface protruding within the interior of the housing from the distal end, the inner conical surface comprising a first edge at the distal end of the housing, a curved plane extending inwards within the housing at an acute angle from the first edge to a second edge located about centrally within the housing, wherein the second edge comprises an aperture providing a clean air or gas outlet, the housing further comprising a particulate outlet adjacent to the first edge and distal end of the inner conical surface; and an impeller disposed within the housing, wherein the impeller is operable to rotate about an axis.
 2. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein rotation of the impeller creates negative pressure that draws in particulate-pervaded air or gas from the inlet.
 3. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 2, wherein rotation of the impeller accelerates the particulate-pervaded air or gas towards the housing walls creating a high-pressure zone along a base of the conical surface.
 4. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 3, wherein particulates separate from the particulate-pervaded air or gas and penetrate through the high-pressure zone for ejection through the particulate outlet due to the particulates greater momentum relative to the air or gas, whereas the air or gas cannot pass through the high-pressure zone and is driven to a center of the housing by a centripetal force for ejection through the clean air or gas outlet.
 5. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein rotation of the impeller induces forces within the housing that eject the particulates out the particulate outlet and eject clean air or gas out the clean air or gas outlet.
 6. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the impeller comprises a rear flat face that induces a final spin of the air or gas when in operation such that any remaining particles are thrown back for ejection through the particulate outlet.
 7. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises at least one channel extending along its inner surface.
 8. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one channel is configured to isolate particulates that have concentrated along the housing wall from the clean air or gas being ejected through the clean air or gas outlet.
 9. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first edge of the inner conical surface has a diameter about that of the housing distal end, and wherein the diameter of the curved plane decreases from the first end to the second edge.
 10. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the impeller comprises an integrated motor.
 11. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a motor for the impeller that is located outside said housing.
 12. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a set of supports coupled to the second edge of the inner conical surface, said set of supports providing a mount for disposing the impeller about centrally within the housing.
 13. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mount disposes the impeller about parallel with the inlet and the clear air or gas outlet.
 14. An apparatus for removing particulates from particulate-pervaded air or gas, the apparatus comprising: an enclosed housing comprising (i) a proximal end with a first opening providing an inlet for the particulate-pervaded air or gas and (ii) a particulate outlet providing a second opening towards the distal end along the exterior of the enclosed housing; an inner conical surface within the enclosed housing, the inner conical surface comprising a base and an innermost edge, the base extending within the interior of the enclosed housing from the distal end at an acute angle until the innermost edge, the innermost edge comprising a third opening providing a clean air or gas outlet, the innermost edge having a circumference less than a circumference of the base; and a rotor comprising a plurality of blades disposed within the enclosed housing, wherein the rotor is operable to rotate, induce suction at the inlet, and generate a force whereby particulates from the particulate-pervaded air or gas are moved down sides of the inner conical surface out the particulate outlet while clean air or gas is ejected from the clean air or gas outlet.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a rotor mount coupled over the innermost edge, said rotor mount holding the rotor within the enclosed housing.
 16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the rotor is disposed between the inlet and the clean air or gas outlet.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the plurality of blades having a radius greater than a radius of the inlet and the clean air or gas outlet.
 18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the particulates comprise at least one of coal dust, saw dust, metal dust, dirt, sand, and liquid suspended in the air or gas.
 19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein rotor is coupled to a motor disposed within the enclosed housing.
 20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the enclosed housing is at least one of cylindrical and conical in shape. 